


Parallel

by SuchAFangirl



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Canon, Future, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-04-15
Updated: 2008-04-15
Packaged: 2018-12-27 14:56:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12083424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuchAFangirl/pseuds/SuchAFangirl
Summary: Justin uses his art to explore the parallels between Ted and Blake's relationship, and his own with Brian.





	Parallel

  
Author's notes: Written to meet a request by thelastrequiem. Thanks to Intensefemme and Hansardgal for their input and beta.  


* * *

Justin marveled at the completed piece in front of him. Sometimes a painting just came from within, no need for thought or planning, just liquid inspiration pouring straight onto the canvas. Odd that the source of inspiration this time was Ted. Well, Ted and Blake to be exact.  
  
This was their house-warming gift. Justin knew Ted would appreciate it more than anything he could have bought; it was a shame he couldn't have framed it, too. As it was, shipping it back to Pittsburgh was going to be a little more costly than he had thought.  
  
Justin was glad that Ted had finally found lasting love and happiness. After all he had been through, he deserved it. Reflecting on the history of Ted and Blake's relationship, it was surprising how it had run a course almost parallel to his own relationship with Brian. A bittersweet path of heady highs and rock bottom lows, rolling with the punches life threw their way. God knows both couples had survived more than their fair share.  
  
It was these parallels that brought about the painting before him. Justin traced the bold lines across the canvas lightly with his finger. He saw in it more geometry and symmetry than he had ever used before, and he liked the result. Sometimes a deviation from his usual style was refreshing. This piece made its statement in strong warm tones of brown and beige, contrasted on a soft wash of blue. Work had already begun on its companion piece; cool, crisp blues dominant over the background of soft browns.  
  
Justin folded the paper around the canvas, followed by protective layers of bubble-wrap and cardboard. Finally, he was satisfied that the painting would survive not only any ill treatment in handling, but also any conceivable disaster, natural or man made. He was totally anal when it came to shipping his art. Even though he had used this company several times before, he could never completely trust that his work would arrive in perfect condition. He would be anxious until the call came from Brian to tell him it had arrived safely. If it didn't, he had a feeling Brian would tear the delivery guy to shreds with enough wraith for the both of them.  
  
~*~  
  
Justin pushed past the crowds that headed towards the luggage carousel. He had commuting down to an art now. A carry-on with the little extras that were necessary for the flight, or for the weekend, but that was it. He had built up enough stuff back at the loft to make extra luggage unnecessary. Clothes, shoes, whatever he needed - it was all there. Justin walked with purpose straight to their meeting place, the designated point where all trips to Pittsburgh began.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Brian looked up from his paper and smiled. He always sat with his back to the arrivals gate, a defense mechanism he had adopted for this arrivals lounge routine. No, he couldn't have anyone thinking that Brian Kinney does excited anticipation. "Hey." The sparkle in his eyes gave him away anyway, but Justin would never let on.  
  
Instead Justin waited for Brian to fold the paper and stand, before he threw his arms around him and kissed him deeply, lovingly, with one week, four days and eleven hours worth of want and need. But who's counting? Justin loved these airport kisses. Secretly, Brian did too. There is a sense of desperation to all airport kisses; making the most of the final seconds before goodbye, or reclaiming time spent apart. You can see it at any arrival or departure gate, and with Justin and Brian it's palpable.  
  
Brian pulled back from the kiss with a broad smile that almost matched Justin's for brightness. "As much as I like our shocking public displays of affection, we have places to be, Sunshine." His eyes directed Justin toward a group of young women who looked away just as quickly, giggling in embarrassment.  
  
"I'm sorry, call me an exhibitionist, but I just can't help myself," he grinned, and pulled Brian in for one final kiss, mustering all the heat he may have left out previously. Brian indulged him in his wicked game, and when the kiss ended, Justin stole a glance at the stunned onlookers across the lounge and laughed. "I'll bet they _never_ experience a kiss like that."  
  
"Okay, enough teasing the heteros, we have to go." Brian scooped up Justin's bag, slipped an arm around his waist and led him out to the car park.  
  
"Did you bring it with you?"  
  
"It's in the back," Brian gestured towards the car with the keys in his hand, turning off the alarm. Justin was surprised to see the lights of an SUV flash.  
  
"What the fuck?"  
  
"Well your masterpiece didn't exactly fit in the back of the Corvette, so I took advantage of the company vehicle. We'll drop by the office and pick up my car after Ted's party."  
  
"A Mercedes-Benz?" Justin couldn't help but laugh at Brian's extravagance, "You couldn't go to General Motors like every other good American business? God, Brian, you really are a label queen!"  
  
"I'm not going to deny the title, but you can blame Cynthia for this one. She gets to drive it on weekends, so I let her make the decision." Brian passed Justin his bag. "Here, you'd better take this in the front with you, we wouldn't want to damage the precious cargo."  
  
Justin opened the passenger door and climbed in, looking over the back at the gift-wrapped painting lying flat in the spacious interior, and then examining the dash, taking stock of all the loaded features. "Practicality and extravagance in one stylish package, Cynthia has good taste," he said approvingly.  
  
Brian laughed softly, "I'll let her know. Most of the boys in the office haven't stopped giving her shit about her choice, so she'll be glad to hear that at least _you_ approve." He turned the ignition, and the engine came to life almost silently.  
  
"Very nice!"  
  
"It's not too bad, but I still prefer my own piece of motoring history." He pulled out of the parking space and started the journey to Ted and Blake's place.  
  
"But your car doesn't have a roomy cargo area. I think we can find a few ways to make better use of that before we return the car to Cynthia." Brian looked across at Justin, an eyebrow raised in interest. He had taught the boy well.  
  
~*~  
  
When Ted opened the door, Justin was immediately overwhelmed by Debbie, Michael, Ben and Emmett who had all crowded into the small entry hall ready to greet him with kisses, hugs and words of welcome. Who could blame them? Brian spent most weekends in New York now, and it _was_ nearly four months since Justin had been back home. Brian intervened, "Let him through, or I'll take him home and give him the welcome he'd prefer."  
  
"You most certainly will not!" It was a good thing Brian was out of Deb's reach, because a clip to the head would surely have followed. But to prove his point, Brian pulled Justin tightly against him and kissed him with the same enthusiasm they had given the performance at the airport. Debbie pushed forward until she was within reach, the clout coming with her signature catch cry, "Shithead!"  
  
Brian was left rubbing his head as Justin picked up the painting, making his way through the crowd and into the lounge room. Ted called out to Blake who came out of the kitchen, champagne bottle in one hand, and two more glasses in the other. "Shall we begin with a toast?" he asked as he set everything down on the coffee table.  
  
Ted popped the cork in a subdued fashion, keeping it from flying and damaging any surface of his new home. He'd only been in the place for two weeks, and was still fussing over every mark and speck of dust. He poured a small glass for each guest, and invited everyone to raise them, "To the many good times we will spend here, with the many good friends who have made it possible." He eyed both Emmett and Brian as he said the last few words.  
  
"To good times," came the chorus of replies.  
  
"Good, and hot, and _hard_ ," added Brian. Carl came close to losing the champagne in his mouth - he should have expected that by now. Brian held his lip in his teeth, trying to suppress laughter. He waited for Deb's comment, but it didn't come, she was too busy looking at Carl with concern, checking that he wouldn't choke on his mouthful of champagne.  
  
When Deb had satisfied herself that Carl was again breathing normally, she turned to Ted and Blake, "Come on you two, now we're all here it's time to open your gifts." Trust Deb to take charge of the evenings proceedings. Ben stood to allow Blake room on the sofa next to Ted. Before they had even settled, Deb thrust a present in their direction. "Here, open this one first."  
  
Everyone eyed the box with suspicion - it was just the right size to house a Deb-style gaudy ceramic piece - and Blake removed the ribbon with great hesitancy. Deb was far too excited to notice Ted's large sigh of relief as Blake lifted the contents from the box. A simple vase of thick clear glass. Very understated. Very Ted. "Thank you so much Deb and Carl. It's beautiful." His voice rang with the utmost sincerity.  
  
Emmett had wisely chosen a gift of luxurious bath foams, treatments and lotions. They would be put to use in the jacuzzi that evening. Ben and Michael's gift was a set of Japanese serving dishes, and Blake could hardly wait to try some of the recipes in the book that came with it.  
  
Justin's gift was next. Brian took the painting from its resting place against the wall, and handed it to Ted. "This is from Justin and me." Until then, Justin hadn't realized that Brian had come empty handed. He looked up at Brian quizzically, and was met with a smile. A vulnerable smile where Brian's tongue found its way into his cheek. Justin recognized it as the rare smile that usually accompanied grand gestures.  
  
Ted tore open the gift-wrapping, and removed the protective layer of cardboard. Not the same layer _he_ had placed there though, Justin noticed, his eyes growing wider as his curiosity piqued. He finally saw Brian's handiwork as Ted lifted the painting from the packaging. A one-inch hardwood frame surrounded the canvas in darkest brown, almost black - a frame of elegant simplicity that harmonized perfectly with every element of the painting.  
  
Ted and Blake gushed their thanks, a long string of superlatives, both aware that this gift was every bit as valuable as it was heartfelt. Though both Justin and Brian managed replies, it was their own silent conversation they were listening to intently. Brian searched Justin's face for approval, thankful he found awe, gratitude and overwhelming love within his deep blue eyes. Feelings echoed through Justin's fingers as they climbed inside the back of Brian's shirt, saying with touch all that could not be vocalized. Thank you. It's perfect. I love you.  
  
It had been a bold move to frame Justin's painting, but the second Brian had laid eyes on it, he knew he had to. Not for Ted and Blake but for Justin. Such an exquisite piece deserved a frame that would give focus to the artwork, highlight its complexity without detracting from the genius that he saw in each bold line. Brian instinctively knew what was needed. Thankfully, it seemed that Justin agreed.  
  
Brian pulled Justin close. "I love it. Your best to date, I'd say."  
  
"Just wait 'til you see the companion piece." Justin had only finished it that morning.  
  
Ted offered his friends a guided tour of the apartment, leaving Blake to add the final touches to the dinner. Brian had already noticed the high-end fixtures and was suitably impressed. The chic but elegant décor and the spectacular views over the city and Allegheny River won over the rest of the group.  
  
A hallway led from the lounge/dining area to four more rooms and two well-appointed bathrooms. The smallest of the rooms had been outfitted with gym equipment for Blake, who preferred to work out in the privacy of his own home. The spacious guest room was every bit as large as Brian's own bedroom at the loft, and the master suite made Brian envious, not only for its size but for its vast closet space. Justin seemed to read his mind and joked, "There'd even be room left over for my clothes."  
  
The tour ended in the dining room where they sat down to begin the "family dinner", like so many they had shared before. Over courses of soup and Atlantic salmon, banter flew across the table in all directions. For Justin, it was a crash course in the last four months of Pittsburgh life. He hung onto every word, enjoying every snippet and story, loving Emmett's recount of Drew's finest on-field moments. Loving even more the way Drew sat so comfortably with his arm over the back of Emmett's chair. They looked happy.  
  
Everyone looked happy. Finally. It had only taken seven years.  
  
It was strange that even this brand new apartment with its modern Italian fixtures, crisp clean lines and walls of muted shades felt like home to Justin. It was a feeling he still hadn't found in New York, even though he'd been living with Megan for almost 2 years. She was a great friend and fantastic company, but their small apartment was missing the one thing that would truly make it _home_.  
  
Brian spent more and more time in New York these days, but when his suitcase was packed and he was on the plane heading back to Pittsburgh, that's when Justin missed him most. Those first few hours when he had to readjust to his room, void of Brian and all of Brian's things. Those hours were the worst.  
  
Brian noticed Justin's uncharacteristic silence. He pulled Justin close and pressed their foreheads together, bringing him back to the moment. "What are you thinking about, Sunshine?"  
  
Justin smiled, "Just how good it is to be home." He leaned closer and gently kissed Brian's lips. Brian responded with his hands on Justin's neck, fingers curling into his blond hair. Brian was not so sure Pittsburgh was home anymore. Home was more of a concept now than a place. Home was wherever Justin was. It _was_ good to be home.  
  
A balled up napkin flew over the table and hit them in the face, shattering the intimate moment. "There'll be plenty of time for that when you two get back to the loft. Would you mind staying with the conversation?" Debbie hated it when Brian monopolized Justin's attention. Brian knew it, and kissed Justin once more, fiercely.  
  
"Now what could you possibly say that is more interesting than that?" He looked up at Deb, grinning wickedly.  
  
She replied with another napkin ball that found its target precisely. Laughter rang out around the table, with Brian joining in too, all the while still exchanging filthy looks with Deb - though mostly in jest. Well at least on Brian's part they were, but when it came to spending time with her Sunshine, Deb was always serious.  
  
"Come on Sunshine! How are things in the Big Apple?" Deb asked cheerily, giving Brian one last death stare, warning him not to dare interrupt. Justin indulged the attentive crowd with stories of gallery openings, his current work for a collective show and the exciting prospect of his own solo show. Ben asked if he has seen any new plays, Michael was keen to find out how the latest Rage issue was developing, and Carl just wanted to know what Justin was doing to keep himself safe on the dangerous New York streets. He had taken his role as family father figure to heart.  
  
It was some time before everyone's curiosity had been satisfied and conversation took a turn away from Justin. The wine continued to flow, dessert was served and demolished, and finally they all scattered to different corners of the apartment. Deb could never relax for long, getting up to help Blake to clear the table, and offering Justin and Emmett as dish washers. Both heaved a sigh of relief when Blake politely refused the offer, reminding Deb that modern kitchens came equipped with dishwashers. Brian wondered why Deb still didn't have one; he might have to remedy that situation.  
  
When Michael and Justin started with the shoptalk, Brian knew it was time to go. Story lines, villains, circulation increases and the bizarre world of Rage fandom... though that last topic mildly amused Brian, he had better things to do. "I think we'd better be getting you home Sunshine. You look ready for bed."  
  
Justin loved the way Brian had _not_ said he was ready for _sleep_. He forced a yawn, just to give Brian's argument some credibility and added, "It has been a rather long day." With excuses made, there was nothing left but to say their goodbyes. With a round of hugs and promises to meet at Babylon the next night, they took their leave.  
  
They compared notes on the ride down in the elevator. "Wow! That was some view." Justin said in awe.  
  
"I'm beginning to see the merits of all those extra rooms too."  
  
"A studio under my own roof would be convenient."  
  
"And a home office for me. There's just no room to work on your desk."  
  
Justin did a double take "Huh?"  
  
"I think we need our _own_ place. In New York."  
  
"Really?" Brian gave him the "grand gesture" smile for the second time that night. Justin beamed.  
  
" I've had enough - commuting is for shit. I'd rather be in New York..." Brian looked straight into Justin's eyes, openly and honestly, willing him to hear the final words he couldn't say.... _with you_.  
  
"But what about Kinnetik?"  
  
"New York is ready for Kinnetik. I've been working hard to build up our client base there, and it's time."  
  
Justin couldn't hold back the wide smile that broke across his face. "When can we start looking?"  
  
Brian moved closer to Justin, claiming his body within his arms. "The sooner the better. Next weekend alright with you?"  
  
Justin looked up at Brian, seeing a happy confidence that had been missing for some time. "Perfect. I have a new masterpiece that needs a home."  
  
And with a deep passionate kiss, the parallels continue. Though now, after seven turbulent years, the path ahead seemed smooth and trouble free for all concerned.


End file.
